Gordon Homers in 10th to Give Royals 7-6 Win Over Rangers

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Mike Moustakas #8 of the Kansas City Royals celebrates a homerun in the dugout against the Texas Rangers in the seventh inning at Globe Life Park in Arlington on May 12, 2015 in Arlington, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

Alex Gordon homered on the first pitch of the 10th inning, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Texas Rangers 7-6 Tuesday night.

Gordon greeted reliever Stolmy Pimentel (0-1) by pulling a ball into the seats down the right-field line.

Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas also homered for the AL Central leaders, who had gone ahead on an RBI groundout by Lorenzo Cain in the ninth. Adrian Beltre's two-out RBI single in the bottom half tied the game again.

After Greg Holland (1-0) took over in the ninth and blew his first save in seven chances this year, the right-hander returned to throw a perfect 10th. It was his first outing this season that lasted more than one inning.

Shin-Soo Choo, who had a leadoff homer in the first, led off the Texas ninth with his third hit. Jake Smolinksi took over as a pinch runner, and Elvis Andrus had a sacrifice bunt.

Beltre then delivered a single to right-center, but with Kyle Blanks at the plate, Beltre was picked off first base by catcher Salvador Perez. Beltre initially was called safe by umpire Ted Barrett, but that was overturned on a replay challenge by the Royals.

Hosmer's sixth homer of the season led off the second. Moustakas hit his fourth when he was the only batter to face Rangers lefty Alex Claudio in the seventh, giving Kansas City a 5-4 lead.

Blanks snapped a 1-for-15 slide with three hits for Texas, including an RBI single in the seventh that made it 5-all when the designated hitter appeared to be trying to check his swing but instead blooped a hit to short right.

That came an inning after Blanks' leadoff double chased Kansas City starter Edinson Volquez.

Blanks scored on a sacrifice fly by Robinson Chirinos that made it 4-all.

Alcides Escobar had a one-out single in the ninth off Neftali Feliz. After going to third on a single by Moustakas, Escobar scored on the grounder by Cain.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Royals: Escobar was hit by a pitch on the arm for the second night in a row, but like Monday stayed in the game. He just returned to the lineup Friday after missing seven games with a concussion after being hit in the side of the face by a pitch April 29 at Cleveland.

Rangers: CF Leonys Martin was out of the lineup with a sore left hand, though he did appear as a pinch runner. ... LHP Matt Harrison (spinal fusion surgery) is scheduled to throw two innings in an extended spring training game in Arizona on Wednesday. ... LHP Derek Holland (left shoulder), who threw only one inning in the home opener April 10, will have a third scan May 22. A second scan last week showed the shoulder was clean, but not completely healed. The Rangers don't want him to throw again until it is completely healed.